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Hahaha, I'm pretty excited about this. This little minigame was sparked by a live stream which took place on the East Coast a few weeks back, in which a really well known fighting game player destroyed his arcade stick! Check out the video for some background here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UwjMZ8nFgIM. I'd like to also point out that my new game company, GunOnion Games, is releasing this to the world. Go me!

If you'd like to support us in our game creation, feel free to buy the soundtrackand pay whatever you'd like. It's full-on Sega Genesis to the core, and is my first full-ish Sega Genesis soundtrack! Yay!All of the game's (GOOD) art was created by friend/artist Monsoon2d. You can check out more work at http://www.monsoon2d.com

I went to Japan! A TON of programming, a bit of sight-seeing and plenty of onigiri later, I am back in the states, and comin' at you with a few blog posts to give you the lowest of downs on the land of the rising sun!

First off, I want to thank Jeriaska at nubuwo.com for orchestrating a plethora of awesome shows and talks for me to be a part of.

Most of my Japan trip was actually recorded by Jeriaska as part of the Tokyo Gaming Showcase Bundle. I met up with several awesome developers, some more local to me than I anticipated! Lots of beer was drank and songs played. I'm talking about the first music show I ever played in Japan, which was at Sabaco in Tokyo!

Here is where I met quite a few Japanese chiptune legends, The awesome Robokabuto, the talented Kunio, the awesome RIKI(developer of Kira Kira Starnight) and of course, the unforgettable Hally. We rocked deep into the night, and here, the first seeds of the Street Fighter X Mega Man: Re-made in Japan were sewn.

Now, I'll be the first to admit that Street Fighter X Mega Man is mostly a remix album in itself; more specifically, I like to look at it as a musical mash-up work between 2 of the greatest franchises. When the idea of a remix album of a remix album was brought up, I myself was a bit skeptical...that is of course, until I heard Kunio's fantastic Akuma remix! Completely awesome, totally baller, and the catalyst for kicking the project into full gear.

I've done a SERIOUSLY BASSY remix as part of this project, and I'll be showing it off probably tomorrow? In the meantime, check out this akuma track as it is fucking KILLER. You're welcome.

Street Fighter X Mega Man OST by A_Rival
Click on download to grab it for free! Just type $0 as the asking cost! Any and all donations will be put toward enabling more download codes as Bandcamp only allows me about 1900. We shall see if we even hit that many.

Read the Gamespot article to find out more. I will be doing a Developer Diary series on http://www.iplaywinner.com, so stay tuned to that. Yippy!

-A

During many of our conversations with one another, a life-long best friend of mine often suggests that I record my rants in the hopes of one day creating a podcast. I usually chuckle, agree, and then move onto something else quickly, subconsciously dismissing the idea due to various insecurities stemmed from a place a therapist may one day figure out. The other reason I don't follow through with the task is that I am satisfied with simply venting to a friend which, in itself, has a direct equivalence to my other biggest art problem: the audience I strive to touch is comprised of those who are immediately close to me.

I struggle with the concept of "giving my gift to the world"; exhibiting your works to the outside, unknown world which is populated with strangers often feels like a fruitless hunt for validation. With a bit of effort, I can pedal along with the pack, struggling to keep up in a race with no win condition. I lose breath and slow down, watching my relevance speed away from me with absent remorse. I release my fingers from the grip of the handlebars.

Is this the coward's way out? Quite possibly. I have grown to be ok with this...but today, I look back at this notion with disgust.

Back in October of last year, I got a call from an old friend. He told me that he was tired of getting paid for doing more than other people who do less. He asked me if I would help him...if I would help him and his family. It wouldn't be long before we would jump headfirst into a brand new music collaboration, one which would give me the strength to stand back up and catch my breath. I now had a true teammate in the race.

Over the past year, this friend has taught me to pedal faster, maintain my balance and keep my eye on what once seemed a intangible and unobtainable victory. Through the hardships and hard work, through the sleepless nights and slow news, he helped me keep my head up and my eyes open, ready for the moment to pull forward and take what is rightfully mine. I learned to win because of him.

This morning, I received a phone call that this friend had passed away: an unexplained swerve and a vehicle tumble left him lifeless on a Las Vegas street. I tremble now as I grasp at memories of our conversations, trying to hold on to them like a persecuted individual being forced from the comfort of their home. "Take only what you can carry", they tell you as you desperately grab whatever you can, knowing full well that your life is emptier, lonelier than it was just a moments prior. You take what you can.

I choose to take what he gave me: the will to look forward and not feel comfortable being left behind.